Tray for mushroom picking boxes



May 16, 1967 T- 1.. PAXTON TRAY FOR MUSHROOM FICKING BOXES 5Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 25, 1965 l9 TED L. PAXTON.

INVEN'TOR.

ATTORNEY.

May 16, 1967 T. L. PAXTON TRAY FOR MUSHROOM PICKING BOXES 3 Sheets-Sheet2 Filed July 23, 1965 ij i l' F f I L111T TED L. PAXTON.

I N VEN TOR.

ATTORNEY.

May 16, 1967 T. L. PAXTON 3,319,799

TRAY FOR MUSHROOM PICKING BOXES Filed July 23, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 TEDL. PAXTON.

INVENTOR. M

ATTORNEY.

United States Patent 3,319,799 TRAY FOR MUSHROOM PICKING BOXES Ted L.Paxton, Riverside, Califi, assignor to Eleanor M. Paxton, Riverside,Calif. Filed July 23, 1965, Ser. No. 474,300 4 Claims. (Cl. 211-126)This invention relates to trays for handling a multiple of small lightboxes such as berry or mushroom picking boxes and particularly to suchtrays which are optionally stackable or nestable depending upon theirrespective positions relative to each other.

It is an object of the invention to provide such a tray which may beinjection molded of plastic so as to be relatively light in weight, lowin cost and yet ruggedly sustain the shocks and strains to which such atray is subjected in service.

The manner of accomplishing the foregoing objects as well as furtherobjects and advantages will be made manifest in the followingdescription taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary plan view of a preferred embodiment of theinvention.

FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the invention taken on theline 2-2 of FIG. 1 and shows two trays of the invention in nestedrelation with each other.

FIG. 3 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of the invention takenon the line 33 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of a pair of the trays of theinvention in stacked relation with portions thereof broken away toillustrate structure otherwise hidden.

FIG. 5 is a vertical transverse sectional view of the invention taken onthe line 55 of FIG. 4 and with portions of the structure broken away toillustrate elements thereof which would otherwise be hidden in thisview.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary horizontal detail sectional view taken on theline 66 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of one of the cardboard mushroom pickingboxes a multiple of which is adapted to be carried loaded in each of thetrays of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of two of said trays in nested relation.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of two of the trays of said invention instacked relation.

Referring specifically to the drawings, it is the current practice topick mushrooms into individual cardboard picking boxes 10, as shown inperspective in FIG. 7 and in dotted lines in the various views of thedrawings. Wooden racks are ordinarily provided for carrying nine pickingboxes at a time and these racks are used in shipping and storing thepicking boxes up to the point of their ultimate sale to the retailcustomer. The racks are then returned to the packer for re-use.

One of the difficulties in using wooden trays for this purpose is thatthey are highly absorbent and tend to extract moisture from the productand thu dissipate a substtanial portion of the weight thereof before theproduct reaches the ultimate point of sale. This defect is largelyeliminated in the present invention by substituting for such woodenracks an injection molded plastic tray 11 which is practicallynon-absorptive of moisture and which may be optionally placed ininterfitting or nested relation with each other so as to occupy aminimum of space when being returned to the packer and on the other handmay be optionally assembled in stacked relation as when they are loadedwith full picking boxes for the purpose of conveying the latter tomarket.

The trays 11 are identical and each tray includes end members 12 and 13.The end member 12 includes a horizontal transverse top plate 14 from theouter end por- 3,319,79 Patented May 16, 1967 tions of which corner legs15 and 16 extend downwardly. These legs have downwardly tapering hollowbosses 17 and 17a extending outwardly therefrom, said bosses having deeptapering pockets 18 and 18a formed therein and opening upwardly throughthe upper surface of plate 14 and inwardly through corner legs 15 and16. Extending downwardly from the bottom ends of bosses 17 and 17a arelugs 19 and 19a.

Spaced inwardly from corner legs 15 and 16 and also extending downwardlyfrom plate 14 are interior legs 20 and 21. All of the legs 15, 16, 2t}and 21 are formed of thin material and are cast integral with top plate14. At points disposed opposite legs 20 and 21 and adjacent their outeredges, the plate 14 is provided in its upper surface with shallowrecesses 22 and 22a, within the areas of which said plate is providedwith holes 23 and 23a, the purpose of which recesses and holes to bemade clear hereinafter.

Tray end member 13 includes an upper horizontal plate 24 from oppositeend portions of which corner legs 25 and 26 extend downwardly. Formed inthe upper face of the plate 24 in locations opposite the legs 25 and 26,are shallow recesses 27 and 27a, within the areas of which, plate 24 isprovided with holes 28 and 28a respectively.

Extending downwardly from plate 24 at locations disposed inwardly fromthe corner legs 25 and 26 are interior legs 29 and 30, these interiorlegs having wedge-shaped bosses 21 and 31a which protrude outwardly fromsaid legs and have deep wedge-shaped pockets 32 and 32a respectivelywhich open upwardly through plate 24 and inwardly through said legs.Extending downwardly from the lower ends respectively of bosses 31 and31a are lugs 33 and 33a.

While the plates 14 and 24 of the end members 12 and 13 lie in the samehorizontal plane, all of the legs of said end members extend inwardlytherefrom at an angle of approximately 7 from vertical. The lower endsof legs 16 and '26 are connected together by a box supporting bar 34having a reinforcing and box retaining flange 35 extending upwardlytherefrom along its outer edge said flange being integral with said barand with said corner legs 16 and 26. Legs 21 and 30 are connected attheir lower ends by a box supporting bar 36 having a reinforcing and boxdividing flange 37 extending upwardly therefrom midway between itsopposite edges. A similar box supporting bar 38 and flange 39 connectsthe lower ends of legs 20 and 29. The lower ends of legs 15 and 25 areconnected together by a box supporting bar 40 having an upstandingreinforcing and box retaining flange 41 along its outer edge. Each ofthese flanges is integral with the bar on which it is formed and withthe legs connected by said bar.

In the views showing two trays 11 in nested relation, to wit: FIGS. 2, 3and 8, the two trays have like ends together. This is the relationshipin which the trays are stored and shipped. When the trays are separatedand each is loaded with nine mushroom picking boxes 10, and it isdesired to stack these trays thus loaded, alternate trays are placed inend-for-end reversed relation with the rest of the trays, whereupon theyfit together as shown in FIGS. 4, 5 and 9. When thus stacked inalternately reversed relation, the lower ends of each of the bosses 17and 17a of each tray extend into the shallow recesses 27a and 27respectively of the tray therebeneath and the pins 19 and 19a of eachupper tray extend respectively into the holes 28a and 28 of the traytherebeneath. In a like manner the lower ends of bosses 31 and 31a ofeach superimposed tray extend into the shallow recesses 22a and 22respectively of the tray therebeneath. Lugs 33 and 33a of the upper trayof each pair then extend into holes 23a and 23 respectively of the lowertray. The interlocking means afiorded by these lugs and recesses andholes which are brought into engagement when the trays are in stackedrelation, are provided to prevent horizontal displacement of anysuperimposed tray relative to the tray therebeneath.

The top plates 14 and 24 of each tray 11 are made of sufiiciently heavymaterial whereby these may be used as handles to lift a tray or severaltnays stacked thereon with each of these trays filled with loadedpicking boxes 10. Being injection molded from plastic, each tray 11 isrelatively light in weight and adds little to the total weight of astack of loaded trays compared to the weight of the product in thepicking boxes. On the other hand trays 11 readily nest together as shownin FIGS. 2, 3 and 8 so as to occupy little space during shipment back tothe packer in whose shed they originated.

The interior legs at each end of the tray 11 are preferably two innumber but it is to be understood as comprehended by the invention thatthese may under certain circumstances be advantageously increased ordecreased in number.

While only a single preferred embodiment of the invention is illustratedherein, it is to :be understood that this is for illustrative purposesonly, and that various changes and modifications may be made in thisparticular embodiment without departing from the spirit of the inventionor the scope of the appended claims.

The claims are:

1. In a picking box tray, the combination of: first and second endmembers, each of which includes a horizontal plate extending entirelyacross said tray at the top level thereof, a pair of thin walled cornerlegs united with inner edge portions of said plate at its opposite ends,and thin walled interior leg means united with said inner edge portionof said plate interiorly of said corner legs and symmetrically relatedtherewith, said corner legs and leg means of both said plates inclininginwardly and downwardly from inner edges of the latter, the corner legsand leg means of said first end member being integrally connected attheir lower ends respectively to the lower ends of the corner legs andleg means of said second end member by flat picking box supporting barsdisposed horizontally and having vertical flanges extending upwardlyfrom and lengthwise of said bars for retaining said boxes on said bars,said flanges being integral with said horizontal bars and said cornerlegs and interior leg means respectively to give said tray rigidity;deeply tapering channel bosses incorporated with said first corner legsand said second interior leg means and extending outwardly therefrom,said channel bosses opening upwardly and inwardly whereby two trays willinterfit vertically a substantial distance in nesting relation, whenlike end members are placed together, but will be stackable with saidbosses of the upper tray resting on the plates of the lower tray whenunlike end members are placed together.

2. A combination as recited in claim 1 wherein interlocking means areprovided on lower ends of said bosses and said plates which interengagewhen two of said trays are in stacked relation to prevent horizontaldisplacement of said trays from vertical alignment.

3. A combination as recited in claim 2 wherein said interlocking meansincludes lugs extending downwardly from lower ends of said bosses;recesses provided in said plates for receiving said bosses with holesprovided within said recesses for receiving said lugs.

4. A combination as recited in any of claims 1 to 3 wherein each of saidfirst and second interior leg means comprises a pair of interior legsand each of the legs of said second interior pair of legs is providedwith a deeply tapering channel boss as recited in claim 1.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,322,748 6/1943Shaw et a1. 2117l 2,994,457 8/1961 Formas 200-97 3,052,373 9/1962 Frater220-97, 3,147,882 9/1964 Waters 22097 CLAUDE A. LE ROY, PrimaryExaminer.

I. FOSS, Assistant Examiner.

1. IN A PICKING BOX TRAY, THE COMBINATION OF: FIRST AND SECOND ENDMEMBERS, EACH OF WHICH INCLUDES A HORIZONTAL PLATE EXTENDING ENTIRELYACROSS SAID TRAY AT THE TOP LEVEL THEREOF, A PAIR OF THIN WALLED CORNERLEGS UNITED WITH INNER EDGE PORTIONS OF SAID PLATE AT ITS OPPOSITE ENDS,AND THIN WALLED INTERIOR LEG MEANS UNITED WITH SAID INNER EDGE PORTIONOF SAID PLATE INTERIORLY OF SAID CORNER LEGS AND SYMMETRICALLY RELATEDTHEREWITH, SAID CORNER LEGS AND LEG MEANS OF BOTH SAID PLATES INCLININGINWARDLY AND DOWNWARDLY FROM INNER EDGES OF THE LATTER, THE CORNER LEGSAND LEG MEANS OF SAID FIRST END MEMBER BEING INTEGRALLY CONNECTED ATTHEIR LOWER ENDS RESPECTIVELY TO THE LOWER ENDS OF THE CORNER LEGS ANDLEG MEANS OF SAID SECOND END MEMBER BY FLAT PICKING BOX SUPPORTING BARSDISPOSED HORIZONTALLY AND HAVING VERTICAL FLANGES EXTENDING UPWARDLYFROM AND LENGTHWISE OF SAID BARS FOR RETAINING SAID BOXES ON SAID BARS,SAID FLANGES BEING INTEGRAL WITH SAID HORIZONTAL BARS AND SAID CORNERLEGS AND INTERIOR LEG MEANS RESPECTIVELY TO GIVE SAID TRAY RIGIDITY;DEEPLY TAPERING CHANNEL BOSSES INCORPORATED WITH SAID FIRST CORNER LEGSAND SAID SECOND INTERIOR LEG MEANS AND EXTENDING OUTWARDLY THEREFROM,SAID CHANNEL BOSSES OPENING UPWARDLY AND INWARDLY WHEREBY TWO TRAYS WILLINTERFIT VERTICALLY A SUBSTANTIAL DISTANCE IN NESTING RELATION, WHENLIKE END MEMBERS ARE PLACED TOGETHER, BUT WILL BE STACKABLE WITH SAIDBOSSES OF THE UPPER TRAY RESTING ON THE PLATES OF THE LOWER TRAY WHENUNLIKE END MEMBERS ARE PLACED TOGETHER.